In the heart of the Year of Faith, we once again are led to the cross and to the resurrection as we celebrate Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday. We have journeyed together with trust in God amid many changes and new paths, for our Parish, for the Diocese of Montreal and for the Universal Church. Who knew what this ‘Year of Faith” would bring with it. Ultimately it brings with it an invitation to renew our confidence in our Lord, to listen to his voice, allowing him to lead us into uncharted waters. We have seen ongoing renewal in our parish through some renovation in the basement and in the sanctuary, as we head to our 100th anniversary celebrations and continuing our mission to reach out to the greater community of Verdun. We have seen our dear Archbishop Cardinal Turcotte retire and the instillation of our new Archbishop, Christian Lépine. We have also seen our Auxiliary Bishop, Thomas Dowd, become the new Episcopal vicar for the English communities of Montreal. With these changes in the diocese has come new way of doing things and a new energy, but for many it also brings some uncertainty as well. This too is an invitation to trust in the Our Lord’s providence. Last of all, we have seen the unprecedented retirement of a Pope, something we have not seen for over 600 years. With this comes an invitation to pray for our cardinals, and the hierarchy. We need to send our prayers, to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit to inspire them to seek and elect our new pope.
In all of this we are called to put our faith into practice. We are not to let our heart become embittered by the fallen humanity we see within the bride of Christ. The Church, from the Pope to the parishioner, is the people of God and together we belong to Christ and so must support one another. It is not us who are called to fashion the church into the image we want, but it is Christ who fashions the church into His own image, and this means the Cross, the nails, the thorns, and as well the glory of the Risen King. The Cross and Resurrection define everything the Church is meant to witness to in the world. It is the assurance of God’s presence among us. It is our path to the kingdom of God. Dear friends, let us rise up to this invitation and challenge and walk in faith.
I wish you all a beloved Easter.
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Fr. Stephen Otvos, Pastor